Meet the Staff
GRANT RICHARDS (Professor / Program Lead)
Grant Richards has always had a deep fascination of movies. He started in the industry by writing film and television scripts. However, as much as he loved to write, it was not enough; he had a strong desire to make movies. That is why he took the next step and became an independent filmmaker. Grant’s first film was a feature-length documentary entitled A Woman’s Place in the World. His next feature-length film was a romantic comedy called It’ll Happen about his dating nightmares. His next feature was a thriller called Spyware, and his last feature was a horror called Death Pact. Grant then produced and directed two other collaborative feature films with his colleagues and best students. The first of these films is On the Couch, which is about a psychiatrist who works a series of patients, eahc written & directed by different people. The collaborative film is Do Not Disturb, which is a series of stories that all take place in the same hotel room. Do Not Disturb will be in theaters is fall, 2023.
Grant has made over 100 short films, some of which include Grown-ups, Dark Ninja, Dana’s Dreams, Mischief, Riding the Crimson Wave, Insectors, Alone, A Bad Day, The Rendezvous, The Elevator Diaries, The Genre Experiment, The Chase, In a Parked Car, The Fight, The Debate, Up Up and Away, and I See Right Through You.
In addition to making films, Grant teaches film history and film production at Gavilan College. He teaches a wide variety of film classes, including Introduction to the Cinema, American Cinema, Approaches to Modern Cinema, International Cinema, Screenplay Writing, TV History, Film Production, Audio Production, Advanced Cinematography, Acting for Film & Television, Digital Editing and Special Effects, and Film and Fiction. Grant is also the head of the Film & TV Program and Chair or the Fine Arts Department at Gavilan College.
TIM AHLIN (Professor)
Tim Ahlin is a video production instructor at Gavilan College, and he's a Media/Content Expert who has been working in the Film/Television industry for over 14 years. He received his AA from Gavilan Community College and then transfered to and graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Film, Televsion, and New Media. Tim has a background in live television news broadcast, is a certified Digital Signage and Content Expert (DSEG), and has worked in this area for over 10 years. He is the Production Manager at the OMG Group, a marketing and branding firm in Monterey CA.
JERONIMO GARCIA (Technical Lead)
Jeronimo is the Lead Technician at the Gavilan College TV Studio. He graduated from Gavilan College in 2014 with certifications in video editing and Digital Media. He assists in any classes or projects taking place inside the TV Studio and is in charge of checking out equipment to students and staff. His background includes years of experience as a cinematographer and video editor. He has worked for The National Steinbeck Center in Salinas CA, as a videographer and journalist filming and archiving their events. Prior to that he was working for Gradient Films, a private company that specializes in filming weddings. He has also been a Video Leader for the STAR program where he taught kids how to shoot and edit their own films. Jeronimo is also well versed in audio production and can help students with their voice over recordings, podcasts, and any other type of audio recording.
Dean of Student Learning, Equity, and Student Success for Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences
Noah Lystrup
408-848-4702
nlystrup@gavilan.edu
Division Assistant
Cecilia Ghiorzi
Division Assistant: Arts, Humanities, Social Science & STEM
Social Sciences Building Room 116
5055 Santa Teresa Blvd.
Gilroy, CA 95020
(408) 848-4701